There are several health conditions which are often associated with atrial fibrillation, including valvular disease, fibrosis, congenital heart defects, atrial dilation, hypertension, subsequent electrophysiologic abnormalities, and central sleep apnea. However, atrial fibrillation doesn’t have to be triggered by another health issue but can happen without coexisting conditions. This condition is known as lone atrial fibrillation.
This condition can be the culprit to other electrical and mechanical changes within the atria. When left untreated, atrial fibrillation can cause irreversible structural and functional abnormalities.
Atrial fibrillation is one of the most sustained cardiac arrhythmias and affects approximately 1% of the general population. This condition is more common in adults.
You might not have been aware that there is a very close link between atrial fibrillation and brain injury. Let’s take a closer look at their connection.
The Link Between Atrial Fibrillation and Brain Injury
The 2018 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions took place from November 10–12 in Chicago. During those sessions, the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City presented a new study. The study was led by Oxana S. Galenko, PhD, where she and her team examined and assessed the ways in which patients with atrial fibrillation experience altered brain perfusion.
The study is called "Circulating Biomarkers of Cerebral Injury Are Increased in Atrial Fibrillation Patients". According to it, brain injury can happen due to perfusions and lead to disruption of the brain barrier through various pathways. As it is already known, people dealing with atrial fibrillation experience chronic, subclinical cerebral injuries. These patients are prone to dementia and cognitive decline and thus, it’s crucial to identify the early markers of the injury.
Atrial fibrillation is a quite common issue and might increase the risk of stroke, blood clots, and heart failure. The scientists used the Wilxocon Sign Rank test to assess the atrial fibrillation link to biomarker levels. These tests were adjusted for patient age and gender. Based on the results, people who were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation were older and their brain injury levels were elevated.
This seems to be a very important step towards linking these two conditions and addressing them. However, this isn’t the only study on this subject. Let’s go through another recent one.
At the ESC Congress 2018 which took place in Munich, Germany from 25 to 29 August, a new study was presented. This study showed that four out of ten patients with atrial fibrillation but no history of stroke or transient is chaemic attack have previously unknown brain damage. This study was conducted by the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort Study (Swiss-AF).
According to this study, the clinically unrecognized brain damage might be the key which links atrial fibrillation and dementia. This applies both for patients with and without prior strokes. Patients with atrial fibrillation are prone to developing dementia, cognitive dysfunction, and stroke.
In order to find the proper measures for these conditions and their link, it’s essential to understand the mechanisms by which atrial fibrillation increases the risk of cognitive dysfunction and dementia. The study we’re talking about examined the prevalence of silent brain damage in atrial fibrillation patients. The results showed that four in ten patients with atrial fibrillation have brain damage which can lead to cognitive decile. Additionally, the results from the study showed that oral anticoagulation might not be the proper prevention for all brain damage in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Yet, more research is necessary to understand the connection between these two conditions.